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Encinitas council backs a citywide skate-initiative after heated debate over Glen Park
Summary
After hours of public comment for and against a proposed skateboard feature at Glen Park, the Encinitas City Council directed staff to agendaize a citywide skate initiative — a working group to study locations, designs and outreach — in a 4–1 vote with Mayor Bruce Aers opposed.
Encinitas — After more than three hours of public testimony and a lengthy council discussion, the City Council on Wednesday directed staff to prepare an agenda item to create a skate initiative to identify potential skate locations citywide.
Council Member Luke Schaefer introduced the council-initiated request to evaluate a skateboard feature at Glen Park and related options across the city. The directive asks staff and a community working group to consider site alternatives, preliminary designs, estimated costs, construction and maintenance needs, and community outreach. Deputy Mayor O'Hara moved the formal direction; the measure passed 4–1 with Mayor Bruce Aers voting no.
The item prompted a large turnout from Cardiff neighbors. Supporters, including longtime skateboard advocates Barry Blumenthal and David Skinner, said a thoughtfully designed small bowl or feature would expand recreational opportunities for all ages, celebrate Encinitas’s skate culture and attract visitors. “A bowl at Glen Park would bring inspiration and fun,” Blumenthal said, urging careful design and donor funding to reduce city costs.
Opponents from the Glen Park neighborhood urged the council to rule out Glen Park specifically. Residents cited the park’s amphitheater-like topography, chronic post‑rain saturation, limited parking and proximity to homes and bird habitat. “Glen Park is a small, heavily used, quiet neighborhood green,” said Katherine Sauerborn, who lives across the street. Multiple speakers said the park hosts youth camps, birthday gatherings and is the last green space in that section of Cardiff.
Council members acknowledged the depth of community concern. Council Member Joyce Lines, who represents Cardiff, said the announcement of Glen Park as a candidate site had eroded trust in the process and asked that staff instead evaluate parks across the city before singling out any location. Other council members said the motion was intended to start a fuller, citywide conversation rather than to pre‑approve any specific installation.
The council’s direction will result in a staff‑led agenda item to establish the skate initiative and outline next steps for community engagement. Officials said the initiative will look for sites that balance neighborhood impacts (noise, parking, drainage, habitat) with equitable recreation access and potential funding sources. The council indicated the item will return for formal consideration after staff and the working group report back.
What’s next: staff will prepare an agenda item setting the scope and membership of the proposed skate initiative and proposed timing for the council’s consideration. The council said it expects robust community outreach and comparative analysis of alternate sites before any project is designed or funded.
